1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a notation tool and method for organizing documents and specifically relates to classifying documents with a computerized system.
2. Description of Related Art
The availability of computer systems and networks has multiplied access to information. Given the always-increasing number of documents of all kinds computer systems' users have difficulties keeping organized. Emails, word processing documents, web pages, digital pictures, digital music and spreadsheets therefore flood users with digital information. We even reached a level where there is so much documents to be managed the current tools are not working adequately anymore.
Document classification and management systems that are available on the market have difficulties presenting documents in an intuitive manner. Mostly, users of computer systems have to rely on listings of document names and titles. Sometimes a preview of the document is provided although it is not included in a contextual environment that can provide the user of the computer system some perspective about the document.
It is even more difficult to manage a large number of documents. One reason is that listings cannot be made too small without loosing the ability to read them. That means the amount of information that can be displayed at the same time is quite limited with current displays.
The large volume of information raises a structural issue. There is no real method or standard how to organize and structure large quantities of documents with a computerized tool. As mentioned above, we still need to rely on lists of documents although they provide documents renderings that have been developed in accordance with what the computer industry was capable of doing a while ago and are still not providing the information in an intuitive manner for a human.
Modern taxonomy, or text categorization, is generated by manually defining a set of rules, which encode expert knowledge on how to classify documents in a predetermined set of categories. This is a complicated burden and does hardly assist a computer user to quickly get a big picture of the documents. We are missing a simple and intuitive way to present a large amount of documents.
More precisely, a “document management grammar” that provides a set of rules that defines the structure of document management is still missing in this new field of massive information management. Also, a “document management syntax” enabling a connected or orderly information organization system presenting documents in a harmonious arrangement has yet to be developed.
Another way of seeing it is to refer to the universal language of written music. The juxtaposed five staff lines and intervening spaces provide a universal musical syntax that is used across the world to communicate any kind of music and it did so for ages. In a simple look a musician can appreciate and understand what should be played. We stand nowhere close to this efficient music communication tool when we come back to our clogged email inbox or our hard drive.
Therefore, there exists a need in the art for an improved manner for organizing documents with a computer system. There is a need in the art for such a document management tool that would provide sort of a document organization “grammar and syntax”. And, there is a need in the art for such a document organizing tool which can be easily and intuitively understood.